Algae are one of the fastest growing organisms on the earth. They can reproduce (bloom) within hours. They require only CO2 and light to grow in either fresh, waste or sea water. In addition, elevated levels of nutrients (principally nitrogen and phosphates) found in industrial process water with other growth enhancing compounds can increase the biomass growth by algae (a).
Algae are being targeted for both future fuels and waste water treatment solutions in research ongoing across the globe. This is because algae, in the process of producing algae fuel, can sequester CO2 from industrial sources and help sequester the nutrients (and some heavy metals) which are held within partially treated process water (b, c).
Algae and cyanobacteria are also valuable sources of metabolites, for example fatty acids including myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, behenic acid, lauric acid, linoleic acid, alpha and gamma linolenic acid, stearic acid, arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Moreover, microalgal and cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (polysaccharidic in nature) present unique biochemical properties that make them interesting from the biotechnological point of view. Cyanobacteria produce complex exopolysaccharides and their applications include food coating, emulsifying and gelling agents, flocculants, viscosifiers and hydrating agents in the food and non-food industries. There is also potential for their use as a source of novel compounds in soft tissue adhesives in healthcare (d). In the field of bioremediation, extra-cellular polysaccharides (EPSs) can remove toxic heavy metals from polluted soils and waters (e,f) and in waste water recycling of nutrients and other elements.
It is clear from the above that algae and cyanobacteria represent valuable resources in many different areas of technology, therefore the present inventors sought to develop new processes for the growth and production of such microorganisms.